sedate

1 of 2

adjective

se·​date si-ˈdāt 

: keeping a quiet steady attitude or pace : unruffled

sedately adverb

sedateness noun

sedate

2 of 2

verb

sedated; sedating

transitive verb

: to dose with sedatives

Synonyms

Adjective

• earnest
• grave
• humorless
• no-nonsense
• po-faced [British]
• serious
• severe
• sober
• sobersided
• solemn
• staid
• uncomic
• unsmiling
• weighty

Choose the Right Synonym for sedate

serious, grave, solemn, sedate, staid, sober, earnest mean not light or frivolous.

serious implies a concern for what really matters.

a serious play about social injustice

grave implies both seriousness and dignity in expression or attitude.

read the proclamation in a grave voice

solemn suggests an impressive gravity utterly free from levity.

a sad and solemn occasion

sedate implies a composed and decorous seriousness.

remained sedate amid the commotion

staid suggests a settled, accustomed sedateness and prim self-restraint.

a quiet and staid community

sober stresses seriousness of purpose and absence of levity or frivolity.

a sober look at the state of our schools

earnest suggests sincerity or often zealousness of purpose.

an earnest reformer

Examples of sedate in a Sentence

Adjective

We walked the beach at a sedate pace.

He remained sedate under pressure.

Verb

The doctor sedated the patient heavily.

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

Julia Roberts’ refreshingly sedate performance plays off Grant’s signature fidgety neuroticism flawlessly. —Ben Rosenstock, TIME, 17 June 2024

The uncertainty over Barkov made sedate what should have been a joyful night. —Greg Cote, Miami Herald, 11 June 2024

Verb

There won’t be anything boring or sedate about San Jose City Hall on Sunday when pop rock music, samba marching and Aztec dance fill the plaza for the latest edition of Viva CalleSJ. —Sal Pizarro, The Mercury News, 7 June 2024

Take carfentanil, which was developed to sedate large animals like elephants, but is now showing up in thousands of human overdoses. —Vox Staff, Vox, 3 June 2024

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Latin sedatus, from past participle of sedare to calm; akin to sedēre to sit — more at sit

Verb

back-formation from sedative

First Known Use

Adjective

1663, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1945, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

sedate

adjective

se·​date

si-ˈdāt

: quiet in manner or conduct : staid, sober

sedately adverb

sedateness noun

Medical Definition

sedate

transitive verb

se·​date si-ˈdāt 

sedated; sedating

: to dose with sedatives

the patient was sedated before the procedure